Mini Found Objects
August 2010, Issue 7
Shrink the grill
for mini thrills!
Lu Garcia aka llamalu
Staff Writer
How do you salute the Red, White and Blue? At our house we barbeque! Summer is the biggest season for grillers to show off their skills.
Your chances of eating something off the grill are high when you attend a parade, check out your local festival or just hang out at home. Meats, vegetables, fruits and even pizza taste unique when cooked on an open flame.
Of course there are all types of grills to suit your needs. Sizes range from the small table top ones all the way up to the huge barrel sizes that could feed an army in a matter of hours. There is charcoal vs. gas in very basic open top hibachis to six-foot-long covered supercenters with side burners or even full outdoor kitchens.
It basically comes down to what you like and are willing to spend. In miniatures you can make a grill from everyday things and add as many features as you like.
A fishing bobber makes a great base. Mine was fluorescent orange and yellow so I had to paint it but if you used a red and white one, you wouldn't have to even mess around painting the red half!
Use scissors to cut up black Styrofoam meat trays for charcoal briquettes. They don't have to be perfect since they will be in a pile. Mix in a small amount of new kitty litter to give the illusion that they are already lit and have started to ash.
I spotted my circular grate in the bottom of a plastic sink strainer. It was very easy to trim and fit inside the rim of my grill. Other items that would make useable grates are screening and pull away cross stitch canvas. Cut out cross sections to make more of a grate pattern than a grid. They will stiffen up nicely when painted.
The stand is actually that "thingy" that keeps the lid from touching the top of your delivery pizza. I trimmed out sections, turned it upside down and added feet. Tooth picks, dowel rods, coffee stirrers or wire are other options for stand construction. You could even bash a lower kitchen cabinet and paint it black and gray.
Don't forget to add finishing touches with handles, wheels, condiment racks, side tables, vents, grease cups, hood thermometers, dials, propane tanks and hoses.
Keep in mind that bases can fit in different scales. Scale down the detailed parts (like grates and handles) of a small table top grill in 1/12 and use it as a larger size in a smaller setting. So fire up your dolls' summer party with a miniature grill!
Custom Dolls, Houses & Miniatures / CDHM